9-1-1 star Ryan Guzman has addressed the backlash he’s received after defending his use of racial slurs when he’s with his friends.
Guzman posted a clip to Instagram on Monday where he apologized and explained that he was coming from a place of anger after people were threatening his fiancée Chrysti Ane and their one-year-old son.
He explained he’d been trying to support Chrysti after a tweet she posted in 2011 – in which she used the N word – surfaced.
‘I have to clarify certain things. Let me first start of by saying I do no condone the use of the N word by any non-black person, that includes all Latinos, that’s not our word.’
9-1-1 star Ryan Guzman has addressed the backlash he’s received after defending his use of racial slurs when he’s with his friends
‘When I said slurs I came from an angry place, I couldn’t think straight and I misspoke, all that was going through my mind was seeing these comments about my girl, and about my one-year-old son, sending death threats to my girl, and seeing this foul-*ss language about my one-year-old son and I misspoke.
‘I meant to say stereotypes and do I condone stereotypes, nah, but amongst friends and friends who make fun of each other, yes. I’m not here to bring anybody down.’
While Ryan did offer an apology, earlier in his message, he first questioned why he was receiving backlash when Latin stars like Cardi B and Tekashi 6ix9ine get away with using racial slurs.
‘People that are coming up to me, keep that same energy for Cardi B, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Fat Joe, all them Latinos have been using for years upon years and getting passes.’
‘When I said slurs I came from an angry place, I couldn’t think straight and I misspoke, all that was going through my mind was seeing these comments about my girl, and about my one-year-old son, sending death threats to my girl,’
‘I meant to say stereotypes and do I condone stereotypes, nah, but amongst friends and friends who make fun of each other, yes. I’m not here to bring anybody down.’
Instagram users continued to slam the actor in the comments section of the post, some pointing out that Cardi B is both Latina and black. She is the daughter of a Dominican father and Trinidadian and Spanish mother.
He continued, ‘I apologize to those that I offended and misrepresented myself by using the wrong term. I stand by my try, fail, learn, grow state of mind. And I will continue to grow, continue to help out the community.
‘So I hope everybody has a great day, enjoys their life, and let’s help out our black brothers and sisters going through this horrible difficult time.’ he said as he ended his message.
‘I apologize to those that I offended and misrepresented myself by using the wrong term. I stand by my try, fail, learn, grow state of mind. And I will continue to grow, continue to help out the community.’
Guzman sparked outrage after admitting on an Instagram Live chat that he often uses racial slurs.
‘I have plenty of friends, black, white, Asian, Indian, whatever they are, Korean… and we make fun of each other’s races all the time. We call each other slurs all the time,’ Guzman, 32, said in the video posted Sunday, May 31.
‘We don’t get butthurt at all because we know the actual person, we know who each other are. We know that we’re not trying to bring each other down. So, what are y’all trying to get at? You’re trying to prove that somebody that’s not racist is racist?
Outrage: Guzman admitted he regularly uses racial slurs in an Instagram Live on Sunday
He added: ‘Nah. You don’t have that power. There is no racist energy coming from this household at all.’
Guzman plays Eddie Diaz in the cop drama 9-1-1 and is also known for having played the character of Jake in Pretty Little Liars.
The actor was aiming to defend his actress fiancée Chrysti Ane, after it was revealed that she had used the N-word, from a tweet that she posted in 2011.
Speaking out: Guzman appeared to be defending his fiancée Chrysti Ane, after it was revealed that she had used the N-word with her African American friends (pictured last year)
On Sunday, Ane issued a formal apology for the tweets, saying: ‘I made tons of black friends, listened to music that used slurs, watched black comedians that freely used the word, and I felt accepted by the black community.’
She added: ‘At the time none of my friends found it offensive, but I must say I also didn’t fully comprehend the WEIGHT of the word. I didn’t comprehend the history, the struggles, the oppression.’
Meanwhile, after receiving backlash from the video, Guzman then attempted to clarify what he meant by ‘slurs’.
Backlash: The actor plays Eddie Diaz on the TV show 9-1-1
‘I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for my misuse of ‘slurs.” he began. ‘I should have said we make fun of each other’s ‘stereotype.’ My friends black friends will tell me to go mow a lawn or hop the border.’
‘Out of context that seems racist asf but I know my friends mean no harm. Let me be clear cut. I do not use the n word because it’s not mine to use. My true friends of all races know that,’ the actor added.
Guzman then began tweeting links to Black Lives Matter websites, telling fans to support the movement.
Some of his 9-1-1 co-stars addressed the controversy on Twitter.
Not okay: Guzman’s costars Rockmond Dunbar and Aisha Hinds criticized his comments on Twitter
Rockmond, who plays Michael Grant in the comedy, said he did not condone use of the N word
May we do better: 9-1-1 star Aisha also commented on the controversial words from Guzman
Oliver Stark, who plays Evan Buckley, wrote: ‘I can tell you that my opinion is there is absolutely no excuse for the use of the N-word. It belongs to the Black community only and I absolutely don’t agree with it being used by anyone else under any circumstances.’
Rockmond Dunbar, who plays Michael Grant on the comedy, echoed Stark’s tweet, writing: ‘As a black man this should go without saying but just to make sure people in the back understand when I say this with my whole chest: I don’t condone the s**t. I don’t like the s**t. And I’ve never been one to allow the word to be used around me by any non-black person.’
Another one of Ryan’s black costars, Aisha Hinds, wrote: ‘How I FEEL daily is a perpetual state of GRIEF. There’s sadly no version of this indefensible discourse that doesn’t exacerbate that grief.
‘Theres legions of learned behaviors that need to be named and neutured [sic] so we don’t continue to give life to them. May we know & DO BETTER.’
‘I can tell you that my opinion is there is absolutely no excuse for the use of the N-word’ Said Oliver Stark who also stars in 9-1-1